The Air Force's B-21 Raider, its futuristic stealth bomber, conducted its first test flight.
The test flight, which includes ground testing, taxiing, and flying operations, occurred in Palmdale, California, on Friday, where it has been under development by Northrop Grumman.
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"The B-21 Raider is in flight testing," Ann Stefanek, an Air Force spokeswoman, told the Washington Examiner. "Flight testing is a critical step in the test campaign managed by the Air Force Test Center and 412th Test Wing’s B-21 Combined Test Force to provide survivable, long-range, penetrating strike capabilities to deter aggression and strategic attacks against the United States, allies, and partners."
B-21 RAIDER FIRST FLIGHT 11-10-23 #RAIDER33 #B21Raider pic.twitter.com/3tEKudqDiw
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The Raider, when it becomes fully operational, will be a long-range, highly survivable, penetrating-strike stealth bomber that can carry conventional and nuclear munitions, according to the Air Force. They intend to build 100 B-21 Raiders, though only six test aircraft are being produced.
Both the Air Force and Northrop Grumman have taken significant steps to shield the first new American bomber aircraft in more than 30 years from adversaries, including the Chinese Communist Party, which the Department of Defense considers to be its "pacing challenge."
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"The Raider was built with open-system architecture, which makes it highly adaptable. As the United States continues to innovate, this bomber will be able to defend our country with new weapons that haven't even been invented yet. And the B-21 is multifunctional. It can handle anything from gathering intel to battle management to integrating with our allies and partners. And it will work seamlessly across domains and theaters and across the joint force," Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said last year.
The stealth bomber is named in honor of the Doolittle Raiders, U.S. Army Air Force troops known for their surprise attack against Japan during World War II. The B-21 designation recognizes that this Raider is the first bomber of the 21st century.